We Tried TikTok's Headrest Line-Spooling Hack & Reeled In Some Nifty Results

Loading your fishing reel spool with line can be a challenge — especially if you are alone. Almost every angler who has ever attempted to spool a reel with line solo can attest to the difficulties that task presents for anyone with just two hands. I certainly do. As a fishing guide and angler, I've had to go through the spooling process thousands of times. Although it can be a hassle, before you can choose the ideal fishing destination or what to use for bait, you have to get line on your fishing reel. I'm always on the lookout for a better way, and when I saw this TikTok by @takemefishing_ claiming to be the absolute best way to load your spool with line, I had to give it a try.

In this hack, the headrest of a vehicle is removed, a filler spool of fishing line is placed on the spindle of the headrest, then the headrest is put back in place. This allows the filler spool to be held in place parallel to the fishing reel as the line is loaded onto the reel's spool. Essentially, the headrest replaces the extra person that is typically needed if you are not using a line-spooling machine. While it looked as if it would work pretty well, I still had to wonder if it would actually solve my fishing reel line-spooling problems. So, I decided there was only one way to find out. I would have to try it myself.

Getting ready for this TikTok fishing reel line-spooling hack is not much different than preparing for any other way to spool your reels. You essentially need the same items — a fishing reel (with an empty spool), filler spool of fishing line, and a pair of line snips. While you can hold your fishing reel in your hand while spooling, I advise putting it on a rod or length of rod handle. This will give you more leverage and control while spooling the reel. This is particularly beneficial when you are attempting to spool larger reels (above 4000 size) as they are heavier and require substantially more line.

While all those items are standard for spooling a fishing reel with line, there is one item you need for this hack that is not commonly used in this process — the vehicle headrest. This is not necessarily the case on every vehicle. So, before getting started on this line-spooling hack, it is best to check and make sure you have access to a vehicle with removable headrests. The way to remove the vast majority of vehicle headrests is to push the small lock button on the side of the headrest spindle, then pull up on the headrest while keeping the button depressed. Be sure the headrest can be removed completely and that the spindle is long enough to accommodate whichever size filler spool of fishing line you intend to use.

After watching the TikTok of this fishing reel line-spooling hack for the first time, I determined two things. One, I thought it could work and work well. Two, I thought there were a couple of ways to tweak it in order to make it even better. However, first things first, I wanted to try the hack just as it appeared in the video. I removed the headrest, placed a filler spool on the spindle, and replaced the headrest. Next, utilizing a 2500 class spinning reel attached to the butt section of a four-piece travel rod, I tied the tag end of the line to the reel spool. After making a few loops and taping over them to ensure the line didn't spin, I began cranking the handle to load the line on the reel, just as is shown in the TikTok.

It was a surprisingly simple and convenient process. In fact, I'd argue it was even simpler than figuring out the best time of day to go fishing! I used the driver seat headrest on a four-door pickup truck and positioned myself outside the opened back driver side door. This gave me plenty of room to operate. The backseat also made a convenient workspace and place to set any items not in use at that moment, such as snips or the reel itself while I was loading the line on the headrest.

As I thought, the fishing reel line-spooling hack worked. I found it's possible to perform the hack just as is shown in the video and adequately load your spinning reel. But, there were a couple tweaks I wanted to try.

A concern I had going into the hack played out just as I thought it would. The issue? There wasn't enough tension on the filler spool. As a result, the spool spun too freely. In order to ensure there was tension on the line as it loaded onto the reel, it was necessary to pinch the incoming line between my fingers. I solved this by lowering the headrest to the top of the filler spool.

The second issue was with the type of reel. This hack is meant for spinning and spincast reels. To use it for baitcast reels, it is necessary to change how the reel is held so the line feeds onto the reel the same way it comes off the filler spool. If it doesn't, it will inevitably lead to line twist. Again, there's a simple solution — point the baitcast reel at the headrest, then twist the reel to where the line feeding off the top of the filler spool goes over the top of the reel. This will work for fly reels also by twisting the reel so that the line feeds onto the bottom of the reel spool.